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Mandarin Chinese information.
Old Wade-Giles romanization used only in Taiwan.
Japanese information.
Buddhist definition. Note: May not apply to all sects.
 Definition may be different outside of Buddhism.

There are 58 total results for your way of life search.

Characters Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

see styles

    fo2
fo
 hotoke
    ほとけ

More info & calligraphy:

Buddhism / Buddha
Buddha; Buddhism (abbr. for 佛陀[Fo2tuo2])
(surname) Hotoke
Buddha, from budh to "be aware of", "conceive", "observe", "wake"; also 佛陀; 浮圖; 浮陀; 浮頭; 浮塔; 勃陀; 勃馱; 沒馱; 母馱; 母陀; 部陀; 休屠. Buddha means "completely conscious, enlightened", and came to mean the enlightener. he Chinese translation is 覺 to perceive, aware, awake; and 智 gnosis, knowledge. There is an Eternal Buddha, see e.g. the Lotus Sutra, cap. 16, and multitudes of Buddhas, but the personality of a Supreme Buddha, an Ādi-Buddha, is not defined. Buddha is in and through all things, and some schools are definitely Pan-Buddhist in the pantheistic sense. In the triratna 三寳 commonly known as 三寳佛, while Śākyamuni Buddha is the first "person" of the Trinity, his Law the second, and the Order the third, all three by some are accounted as manifestations of the All-Buddha. As Śākyamuni, the title indicates him as the last of the line of Buddhas who have appeared in this world, Maitreya is to be the next. As such he is the one who has achieved enlightenment, having discovered the essential evil of existence (some say mundane existence, others all existence), and the way of deliverance from the constant round of reincarnations; this way is through the moral life into nirvana, by means of self-abnegation, the monastic life, and meditation. By this method a Buddha, or enlightened one, himself obtains Supreme Enlightenment, or Omniscience, and according to Māhāyanism leads all beings into the same enlightenment. He sees things not as they seem in their phenomenal but in their noumenal aspects, as they really are. The term is also applied to those who understand the chain of causality (twelve nidānas) and have attained enlightenment surpassing that of the arhat. Four types of the Buddha are referred to: (1) 三藏佛the Buddha of the Tripiṭaka who attained enlightenment on the bare ground under the bodhi-tree; (2) 通佛the Buddha on the deva robe under the bodhi-tree of the seven precious things; (3) 別佛the Buddha on the great precious Lotus throne under the Lotus realm bodhi-tree; and (4) 圓佛the Buddha on the throne of Space in the realm of eternal rest and glory where he is Vairocana. The Hīnayāna only admits the existence of one Buddha at a time; Mahāyāna claims the existence of many Buddhas at one and the same time, as many Buddhas as there are Buddha-universes, which are infinite in number.

十戒

see styles
shí jiè
    shi2 jie4
shih chieh
 jukkai
    じゅっかい

More info & calligraphy:

Ten Commandments
the ten commandments (religion)
(1) (Buddhist term) the 10 precepts; (2) Ten Commandments; Decalogue; Decalog; (surname) Jukkai
Śikṣāpada. The ten prohibitions (in Pāli form) consist of five commandments for the layman: (1) not to destroy life 不殺生 pāṇātipātāveramaṇi; (2) not to steal 不倫盜 adinnādānāver; (3) not to commit adultery 不婬慾 abrahmacaryaver.; (4) not to lie 不妄語musāvādāver.; (5) not to take intoxicating liquor 不飮酒 suramereyya-majjapamādaṭṭhānāver. Eight special commandments for laymen consist of the preceding five plus: (6) not to eat food out of regulated hours 不非時食 vikāla-bhojanāver.; (7) not to use garlands or perfumes 不著華鬘好香塗身 mālā- gandha-vilepana-dhāraṇa-maṇḍana-vibhūṣanaṭṭhānā; (8) not to sleep on high or broad beds (chastity) 不坐高廣大牀 uccāsayanā-mahāsayanā. The ten commandments for the monk are the preceding eight plus: (9) not to take part in singing, dancing, musical or theatrical performances, not to see or listen to such 不歌舞倡伎不往觀聽 nacca-gīta-vādita-visūkadassanāver.; (10) to refrain from acquiring uncoined or coined gold, or silver, or jewels 不得捉錢金銀寶物 jātarūpa-rajata-paṭīggahaṇāver. Under the Māhayāna these ten commands for the monk were changed, to accord with the new environment of the monk, to the following: not to kill, not to steal, to avoid all unchastity, not to lie, not to slander, not to insult, not to chatter, not to covet, not to give way to anger, to harbour no scepticism.

四諦


四谛

see styles
sì dì
    si4 di4
ssu ti
 shitai
    したい

More info & calligraphy:

Four Noble Truths (Buddhism)
the Four Noble Truths (Budd.), covered by the acronym 苦集滅道|苦集灭道[ku3 ji2 mie4 dao4]: all life is suffering 苦[ku3], the cause of suffering is desire 集[ji2], emancipation comes only by eliminating passions 滅|灭[mie4], the way 道[dao4] to emancipation is the Eight-fold Noble Way 八正道[ba1 zheng4 dao4]
{Buddh} (See 苦集滅道) The Four Noble Truths
catvāri-ārya-satyāni; 四聖諦; 四眞諦. The four dogmas, or noble truths, the primary and fundamental doctrines of Śākyamuni, said to approximate to the form of medical diagnosis. They are pain or 'suffering, its cause, its ending, the way thereto; that existence is suffering, that human passion (taṇhā, 欲 desire) is the cause of continued suffering, that by the destruction of human passion existence may be brought to an end; that by a life of holiness the destruction of human passion may be attained'. Childers. The four are 苦, 聚 (or 集), 滅, and 道諦, i. e. duḥkha 豆佉, samudaya 三牟提耶, nirodha 尼棲陀, and mārga 末加. Eitel interprets them (1) 'that 'misery' is a necessary attribute of sentient existence'; (2) that 'the 'accumulation' of misery is caused by the passions'; (3) that 'the 'extinction' of passion is possible; (4) mārga is 'the doctrine of the 'path' that leads to the extinction of passion'. (1) 苦 suffering is the lot of the 六趣 six states of existence; (2) 集 is the aggregation (or exacerbation) of suffering by reason of the passions; (3) 滅 is nirvana, the extinction of desire and its consequences, and the leaving of the sufferings of mortality as void and extinct; (4) 道 is the way of such extinction, i. e. the 八正道 eightfold correct way. The first two are considered to be related to this life, the last two to 出世間 a life outside or apart from the world. The four are described as the fundamental doctrines first preached to his five former ascetic companions. Those who accepted these truths were in the stage of śrāvaka. There is much dispute as to the meaning of 滅 'extinction' as to whether it means extinction of suffering, of passion, or of existence. The Nirvana Sutra 18 says that whoever accepts the four dogmas will put an end to births and deaths 若能見四諦則得斷生死 which does not of necessity mean the termination of existence but that of continued transmigration. v. 滅.

如來


如来

see styles
rú lái
    ru2 lai2
ju lai
 nyorai
    にょらい

More info & calligraphy:

Tathagata
tathagata (Buddha's name for himself, having many layers of meaning - Sanskrit: thus gone, having been Brahman, gone to the absolute etc)
(out-dated kanji) Tathagata; perfected one (suffix of high-ranking Buddhist deities)
tathāgata, 多陀阿伽陀 q. v.; 怛他揭多 defined as he who comes as do all other Buddhas; or as he who took the 眞如 zhenru or absolute way of cause and effect, and attained to perfect wisdom; or as the absolute come; one of the highest titles of a Buddha. It is the Buddha in his nirmāṇakāya, i. e. his 'transformation' or corporeal manifestation descended on earth. The two kinds of Tathāgata are (1) 在纏 the Tathāgata in bonds, i. e. limited and subject to the delusions and sufferings of life, and (2) 出纏 unlimited and free from them. There are numerous sutras and śāstras bearing this title of 如來 rulai.

人の道

see styles
 hitonomichi
    ひとのみち

More info & calligraphy:

Moral Principles Of Life
(exp,n) (usu. as 人の道を外れる, 人の道に反する, etc.) moral way of life; correct path; moral principles

生活法

see styles
 seikatsuhou / sekatsuho
    せいかつほう

More info & calligraphy:

Way of Life / Art of Life
art of living; way of life

see styles
yún
    yun2
yün
 den
    でん
to summon; to propagate; to transmit
(1) legend; tradition; (2) biography; life; (3) method; way; (4) horseback transportation and communication relay system used in ancient Japan; (surname) Fu

see styles
tái
    tai2
t`ai
    tai
 dai
    だい
(classical) you (in letters); variant of 臺|台[tai2]
(n,n-suf) (1) stand; rest; base; pedestal; platform; table; holder; support; rack; (2) setting (of a gem); mounting; (3) (See 台木・1) stock (in grafting); (counter) (4) counter for machines and vehicles; (suffix) (5) (after a rounded value) level (e.g. price level); mark; range; decade (of one's life); (suffix noun) (6) tall building (with a fine view); (observation) platform; (suffix noun) (7) (in place names) plateau; heights; (surname) Dai
A flat place, platform, plateau, terrace; an abbrev. for 臺 and for 天台 Tiantai, hence 台嶽 the Tiantai mountain; 台宗; 台家 its 'school'; 台徒 its disciples; 台教; 台道 its doctrine, or way.

see styles

    qu2
ch`ü
    chü
 ku
    ちまた
thoroughfare
(1) (kana only) the public (esp. much-discussed, much-heard); the street (e.g. "word on the street"); (2) (kana only) street; district; quarters; (3) (kana only) location (of a battle, etc.); scene (e.g. of carnage); (4) (kana only) divide (e.g. between life and death); (5) fork (in a road); crossroads
A thoroughfare, a way, cf. 瞿 18.

二流

see styles
èr liú
    er4 liu2
erh liu
 niryuu / niryu
    にりゅう
second-rate; second-tier
(noun - becomes adjective with の) second-rate; inferior
The two ways in the current of transmigration: 順流 to flow with it in continual re-incarnation; 逆流 resist it and seek a way of escape by getting rid of life's delusions, as in the case of the saints.

処世

see styles
 shosei / shose
    しょせい
making one's way through life; conduct of one's life

彼岸

see styles
bǐ àn
    bi3 an4
pi an
 higan
    ひがん
the other shore; (Buddhism) paramita
(1) equinoctial week (when Buddhist services are held); (2) (abbreviation) (See 彼岸会) Buddhist services during the equinoctial week; (3) {Buddh} (See 此岸) nirvana; (4) (form) opposite bank; opposite shore; shore on the other side
波羅 parā, yonder shore i. e. nirvāṇa. The saṃsāra life of reincarnation is 此岸 this shore; the stream of karma is 中流 the stream between the one shore and the other. Metaphor for an end to any affair. pāramitā (an incorrect etymology, no doubt old) is the way to reach the other shore.; The other shore; nirvāṇa.

生態


生态

see styles
shēng tài
    sheng1 tai4
sheng t`ai
    sheng tai
 seitai / setai
    せいたい
ecology
(1) ecology; life and habits (of an animal); (2) mode of life; way of living

生涯

see styles
shēng yá
    sheng1 ya2
sheng ya
 shougai / shogai
    しょうがい
career; life (way in which sb lives); period of one's life
(1) life; lifetime; career; (n,adv) (2) for life; all one's life; throughout one's life; as long as one lives

痴心

see styles
chī xīn
    chi1 xin1
ch`ih hsin
    chih hsin
infatuation
An unenlightened mind, ignorance deluded, ignorant of the right way of seeing life and phenomena.

習い

see styles
 narai
    ならい
as is habit; the way life normally is

邪道

see styles
xié dào
    xie2 dao4
hsieh tao
 jadou / jado
    じゃどう
depraved life; evil ways; fornication
(1) improper way (of doing); wrong way; unorthodox method; (2) evil course; evil path; heresy
Heterodox ways, or doctrines.

闖蕩


闯荡

see styles
chuǎng dàng
    chuang3 dang4
ch`uang tang
    chuang tang
to leave home to make one's way in the world; to leave the life one knows to seek success

雞娃


鸡娃

see styles
jī wá
    ji1 wa2
chi wa
chick; (neologism c. 2020) to arrange a daily regimen of activities for one's child; a child whose life is regimented this way

徒食い

see styles
 mudagui
    むだぐい
(noun/participle) (1) eating between meals; wasteful eating habits; waste of resources; (2) living idly; loafing one's way through life

生き方

see styles
 ikikata
    いきかた
way of life; how to live

生き様

see styles
 ikizama
    いきざま
attitude to life; form of existence; way of life

阿彌陀


阿弥陀

see styles
ā mí tuó
    a1 mi2 tuo2
a mi t`o
    a mi to
 Amida
    あみだ
(out-dated kanji) (1) (Buddhist term) Amitabha (Buddha); Amida; (2) (kana only) (abbreviation) ghostleg lottery; ladder lottery; lottery in which participants trace a line across a lattice pattern to determine the winner; (3) (kana only) (abbreviation) wearing a hat pushed back on one's head
(阿彌) amita, boundless, infinite; tr. by 無量 immeasurable. The Buddha of infinite qualities, known as 阿彌陀婆 (or 阿彌陀佛) Amitābha, tr. 無量光 boundless light; 阿彌陀廋斯Amitāyus, tr. 無量壽 boundless age, or life; and among the esoteric sects Amṛta 甘露 (甘露王) sweet-dew (king). An imaginary being unknown to ancient Buddhism, possibly of Persian or Iranian origin, who has eclipsed the historical Buddha in becoming the most popular divinity in the Mahāyāna pantheon. His name indicates an idealization rather than an historic personality, the idea of eternal light and life. The origin and date of the concept are unknown, but he has always been associated with the west, where in his Paradise, Suikhāvatī, the Western Pure Land, he receives to unbounded happiness all who call upon his name (cf. the Pure Lands 淨土 of Maitreya and Akṣobhya). This is consequent on his forty-eight vows, especially the eighteenth, in which he vows to refuse Buddhahood until he has saved all living beings to his Paradise, except those who had committed the five unpardonable sins, or were guilty of blasphemy against the Faith. While his Paradise is theoretically only a stage on the way to rebirth in the final joys of nirvana, it is popularly considered as the final resting-place of those who cry na-mo a-mi-to-fo, or blessed be, or adoration to, Amita Buddha. The 淨土 Pure-land (Jap. Jōdo) sect is especially devoted to this cult, which arises chiefly out of the Sukhāvatīvyūha, but Amita is referred to in many other texts and recognized, with differing interpretations and emphasis, by the other sects. Eitel attributes the first preaching of the dogma to 'a priest from Tokhara' in A. D.147, and says that Faxian and Xuanzang make no mention of the cult. But the Chinese pilgrim 慧日Huiri says he found it prevalent in India 702-719. The first translation of the Amitāyus Sutra, circa A.D. 223-253, had disappeared when the Kaiyuan catalogue was compiled A.D. 730. The eighteenth vow occurs in the tr. by Dharmarakṣa A.D. 308. With Amita is closely associated Avalokiteśvara, who is also considered as his incarnation, and appears crowned with, or bearing the image of Amita. In the trinity of Amita, Avalokiteśvara appears on his left and Mahāsthāmaprāpta on his right. Another group, of five, includes Kṣitigarbha and Nāgārjuna, the latter counted as the second patriarch of the Pure Land sect. One who calls on the name of Amitābha is styled 阿彌陀聖 a saint of Amitābha. Amitābha is one of the Five 'dhyāni buddhas' 五佛, q.v. He has many titles, amongst which are the following twelve relating to him as Buddha of light, also his title of eternal life: 無量光佛Buddha of boundless light; 無邊光佛 Buddha of unlimited light; 無礙光佛 Buddha of irresistible light; 無對光佛 Buddha of incomparable light; 燄王光佛 Buddha of yama or flame-king light; 淸淨光佛 Buddha of pure light; 歡喜光佛 Buddha of joyous light; 智慧光佛 Buddha of wisdom light; 不斷光佛 Buddha of unending light; 難思光佛 Buddha of inconceivable light; 無稱光佛Buddha of indescribable light; 超日月光佛 Buddha of light surpassing that of sun and moon; 無量壽 Buddha of boundless age. As buddha he has, of course, all the attributes of a buddha, including the trikāya, or 法報化身, about which in re Amita there are differences of opinion in the various schools. His esoteric germ-letter is hrīḥ, and he has specific manual-signs. Cf. 阿彌陀經, of which with commentaries there are numerous editions.

九種大禪


九种大禅

see styles
jiǔ zhǒng dà chán
    jiu3 zhong3 da4 chan2
chiu chung ta ch`an
    chiu chung ta chan
 kushu daizen
The nine kinds of Mahāyāna dhyāna for bodhisattvas, given in the 菩薩地持經 6 and in other works; they are associated with the patience 忍 pāramitā and with the dhyāna of the super-realms. The nine are meditations: (1) 自性禪 on the original nature of things, or mind as the real nature, from which all things derive; (2) 一切禪 on achieving the development of self and all others to the utmost; (3) 難禪 on the difficulties of certain dhyāna conditions; (4) 一切禪 on the entrance to all the (superior) dhyāna conditions; (5) 善人禪 on the good; (6) 一切行禪 on all Mahāyāna practices and actions; (7) 除煩惱禪 on ridding all sufferers from the miseries of passion and delusion; (8) 此世他世樂禪 on the way to bring joy to all people both in this life and hereafter; (9) 淸淨淨禪 on perfect purity in the termination of all delusion and distress and the obtaining of perfect enlightenment.

各奔前程

see styles
gè bèn qián chéng
    ge4 ben4 qian2 cheng2
ko pen ch`ien ch`eng
    ko pen chien cheng
each goes his own way (idiom); each person has his own life to lead

命道沙門


命道沙门

see styles
mìng dào shā mén
    ming4 dao4 sha1 men2
ming tao sha men
 myōdō shamon
A śramaṇa who makes the commandments, meditation, and knowledge his very life, as Ānanda did.

棄暗投明


弃暗投明

see styles
qì àn tóu míng
    qi4 an4 tou2 ming2
ch`i an t`ou ming
    chi an tou ming
to renounce the dark and seek the light; to give up one's wrong way of life and turn to a better one

淳風美俗

see styles
 junpuubizoku / junpubizoku
    じゅんぷうびぞく
(yoji) good morals and manners; genial manners and laudable customs; pristine way of life

無駄食い

see styles
 mudagui
    むだぐい
(noun/participle) (1) eating between meals; wasteful eating habits; waste of resources; (2) living idly; loafing one's way through life

生きざま

see styles
 ikizama
    いきざま
attitude to life; form of existence; way of life

生きる道

see styles
 ikirumichi
    いきるみち
(exp,n) way of life

生活振り

see styles
 seikatsuburi / sekatsuburi
    せいかつぶり
way of life

生活方式

see styles
shēng huó fāng shì
    sheng1 huo2 fang1 shi4
sheng huo fang shih
way of life; lifestyle

異国趣味

see styles
 ikokushumi
    いこくしゅみ
taste for the exotic; infatuation with a foreign way of life; exoticism

自主独往

see styles
 jishudokuou / jishudokuo
    じしゅどくおう
independent way of life

苦集滅道


苦集灭道

see styles
kǔ jí miè dào
    ku3 ji2 mie4 dao4
k`u chi mieh tao
    ku chi mieh tao
 kujuumetsudou; kujumetsudou; kushumetsudou / kujumetsudo; kujumetsudo; kushumetsudo
    くじゅうめつどう; くじゅめつどう; くしゅめつどう
the Four Noble Truths (Budd.), namely: all life is suffering 苦[ku3], the cause of suffering is desire 集[ji2], emancipation comes only by eliminating passions 滅|灭[mie4], the way 道[dao4] to emancipation is the Eight-fold Noble Way 八正道[ba1 zheng4 dao4]; also called 四諦|四谛[si4 di4]
{Buddh} (See 四諦) Suffering, Source of Suffering Desire, The Cessation of Suffering, The Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism)
The four axioms or truths: i. e. duḥkha, pain; samudaya, as above; nirodha, the extinguishing of pain and reincarnation; mārga, the way to such extinction; cf. 四諦.

處世之道


处世之道

see styles
chǔ shì zhī dào
    chu3 shi4 zhi1 dao4
ch`u shih chih tao
    chu shih chih tao
way of life; attitude; modus operandi

醇風美俗

see styles
 junpuubizoku / junpubizoku
    じゅんぷうびぞく
(yoji) good morals and manners; genial manners and laudable customs; pristine way of life

そんなもの

see styles
 sonnamono
    そんなもの
(exp,n) that's the way it is; such is life

そんなもん

see styles
 sonnamon
    そんなもん
(exp,n) that's the way it is; such is life

天帝生驢胎

see styles
tiān dì shēng lǘ tāi
    tian1 di4 sheng1 lv2 tai1
t`ien ti sheng lü t`ai
    tien ti sheng lü tai
Lord of devas, born in the womb of an ass, a Buddhist fable, that Indra knowing he was to be reborn from the womb of an ass, in sorrow sought to escape his fate, and was told that trust in Buddha was the only way. Before he reached Buddha his life came to an end and he found himself in the ass. His resolve, however, had proved effective, for the master of the ass beat her so hard that she dropped her foal dead. Thus Indra returned to his former existence and began his ascent to Buddha.

暮らしぶり

see styles
 kurashiburi
    くらしぶり
lifestyle; way of life

暮らし振り

see styles
 kurashiburi
    くらしぶり
lifestyle; way of life

浮世の習い

see styles
 ukiyononarai
    うきよのならい
(exp,n) (See 浮世・3) the way of the world; the lay of the land; the inescapable circumstances (of life); (just) the way things are

身を起こす

see styles
 miookosu
    みをおこす
(exp,v5s) (1) to get up (e.g. from bed); (exp,v5s) (2) to make one's way in the world; to achieve in life

そういうもの

see styles
 souiumono / soiumono
    そういうもの
(exp,n) that's the way it is; such is life

そういうもん

see styles
 souiumon / soiumon
    そういうもん
(exp,n) that's the way it is; such is life

此世他世樂禪


此世他世乐禅

see styles
cǐ shì tā shì lè chán
    ci3 shi4 ta1 shi4 le4 chan2
tz`u shih t`a shih le ch`an
    tzu shih ta shih le chan
 shies tase raku zen
meditation on the way to bring joy to all people both in this life and hereafter

生活パターン

see styles
 seikatsupataan / sekatsupatan
    せいかつパターン
lifestyle; way of life; daily goings-on; daily habits

マイホーム主義

see styles
 maihoomushugi
    マイホームしゅぎ
(See マイホーム) family-oriented way of life; family-first way of life; cocooning

Variations:
無駄食い
徒食い

see styles
 mudagui
    むだぐい
(noun/participle) (1) eating between meals; wasteful eating habits; waste of resources; (noun/participle) (2) (See 無駄飯・むだめし,徒食・としょく) living idly; loafing one's way through life

Variations:
生き様
生きざま

see styles
 ikizama
    いきざま
attitude to life; form of existence; way of life

Variations:
暮らし(P)
暮し

see styles
 kurashi(p); gurashi(sk)
    くらし(P); ぐらし(sk)
(n,n-suf) (usu. ぐらし as a suffix) (way of) life; living; livelihood; life circumstances

Variations:
醇風美俗
淳風美俗

see styles
 junpuubizoku / junpubizoku
    じゅんぷうびぞく
(yoji) good morals and manners; genial manners and laudable customs; pristine way of life

Variations:
世の習い
世のならい

see styles
 yononarai
    よのならい
(exp,n) the way of the world; the lay of the land; the inescapable circumstances (of life)

Variations:
暮らし振り
暮らしぶり

see styles
 kurashiburi
    くらしぶり
lifestyle; way of life

Variations:
泳ぐ(P)
游ぐ(rK)

see styles
 oyogu
    およぐ
(v5g,vi) (1) to swim; (v5g,vi) (2) to struggle through (a crowd); (v5g,vi) (3) to make one's way through the world; to get along (in life); (v5g,vi) (4) to totter; to lose one's balance

Variations:
そんなもの
そんなもん
そういうもの
そういうもん

see styles
 sonnamono; sonnamon; souiumono; souiumon / sonnamono; sonnamon; soiumono; soiumon
    そんなもの; そんなもん; そういうもの; そういうもん
(exp,n) that's the way it is; such is life

Entries with 2nd row of characters: The 2nd row is Simplified Chinese.

This page contains 58 results for "way of life" in Chinese and/or Japanese.



Information about this dictionary:

Apparently, we were the first ones who were crazy enough to think that western people might want a combined Chinese, Japanese, and Buddhist dictionary.

A lot of westerners can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese - and there is a reason for that. Chinese characters and even whole words were borrowed by Japan from the Chinese language in the 5th century. Much of the time, if a word or character is used in both languages, it will have the same or a similar meaning. However, this is not always true. Language evolves, and meanings independently change in each language.

Example: The Chinese character 湯 for soup (hot water) has come to mean bath (hot water) in Japanese. They have the same root meaning of "hot water", but a 湯屋 sign on a bathhouse in Japan would lead a Chinese person to think it was a "soup house" or a place to get a bowl of soup. See this: Japanese Bath House

This dictionary uses the EDICT and CC-CEDICT dictionary files.
EDICT data is the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, and is used in conformance with the Group's license.

Chinese Buddhist terms come from Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms by William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous. This is commonly referred to as "Soothill's'". It was first published in 1937 (and is now off copyright so we can use it here). Some of these definitions may be misleading, incomplete, or dated, but 95% of it is good information. Every professor who teaches Buddhism or Eastern Religion has a copy of this on their bookshelf. We incorporated these 16,850 entries into our dictionary database ourselves (it was lot of work).



Combined, these cover 1,007,753 Japanese, Chinese, and Buddhist characters, words, idioms, names, placenames, and short phrases.

Just because a word appears here does not mean it is appropriate for a tattoo, your business name, etc. Please consult a professional before doing anything stupid with this data.

We do offer Chinese and Japanese Tattoo Services. We'll also be happy to help you translate something for other purposes.

No warranty as to the correctness, potential vulgarity, or clarity is expressed or implied. We did not write any of these definitions (though we occasionally act as a contributor/editor to the CC-CEDICT project). You are using this dictionary for free, and you get what you pay for.

The following titles are just to help people who are searching for an Asian dictionary to find this page.

Japanese Kanji Dictionary

Free Asian Dictionary

Chinese Kanji Dictionary

Chinese Words Dictionary

Chinese Language Dictionary

Japanese Chinese Dictionary